Immerse yourself in Immersion's PS3 rumble survey
by Nick Doerr 
{ Jul 6th 2006 at 4:00PM }
Immersion Technology has slapped up an online poll that seeks to get insight from the gaming public about their feelings towards the lack of a rumble feature in Sony's new console. It's essentially a tool to petition Sony into adding rumble to their controller, maybe to incorporate their own new technology: TouchSense vibration.Immersion's website really makes the technology sound far more appealing than the tilt-sensor feature of the current PS3 controller. Imagine being able to feel your car in a racing game run over a rock on the left side -- your left hand feels a sudden, violent jolt. Now imagine using your controller to steer the car ... kind of. Hmm. Kojima was right in wishing for a switch to go between the two features, but this new TouchSense technology "can work alongside motion-control and tilt-sensing features". What? Why isn't Sony jumping on this? Perhaps we should all take the poll, multiple times, regardless of whether or not it's biased and hope Sony listens. Having the best of both worlds would certainly rock and roll. Or ... rumble and tilt.
[via Joystiq]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Terminal @ Jul 6th 2006 4:21PM
I always turned rumble off anyways, It bugs the shit out of me.
Sonn @ Jul 6th 2006 4:47PM
Whatevs,
I'd probably turn off the rumble anyways if it meant longer battery life in my controller, as for the motion sensor stuff, it's like the post says - this is all posturing/last ditch additions. As long as i get a controller that is robust and responsive i won't mind too much. PS, i had a power glove back in tha day, so this whole motion sensitive thing is a much ado about nothing in my mind...
Andir2.0 @ Jul 6th 2006 5:11PM
Add me to the list of non-rumblers.
Andir2.0 @ Jul 6th 2006 5:21PM
Besides, this is retarded. A company jumped on the patent wagon and sued Sony for putting rumble in the controller. Sony took out that feature in the next console so they wouldn't have to pay some shmuck a royalty. Now that it's out, the company that wants to make money on it is using you poor saps to generate hype for a lackluster feature so they can make money.
SuicideNinja @ Jul 6th 2006 5:58PM
Lackluster? This brings me back to my Shadow of the Colossus argument. When that colossus steps on the screen...you FEEL it with rumble. Otherwise, it's hollow, and your surround sound just booms. It is ever so evident that you are watching the experience and not being a part of it at that point.
In other games, whether you are getting shot at or rammed with car, it adds to the experience. You know which side it's coming from, so it makes you more effective. Turning off rumble in something like Final Fantasy or Metroid Prime Pinball would make sense, but otherwise it doesn't make any.
We have 5 senses, and video games have recently been providing feedback to 3 senses. Removing rumble means we are back to 2 senses. Logic dictates that it's less immersive even without the SotC example. The type of motion control that Sony has added has already done poorly in the market, so I don't see the tradeoff as a positive one.
If everyone else can pay up to Immersion, Sony should not be excluded.
Cage @ Jul 6th 2006 6:22PM
To people posting backing Sony for their decision...DO YOU OWN STOCK?!? How in the hell as a gamer would you be happy a feature is left out. This makes no sense. If I were a fanboy of the PS3 or not I would want rumble in it (just proved by Boots it can be done with tilt).
Brian @ Jul 7th 2006 2:01AM
I don't think rumble matters that much. I mean I still prefer playing
games on the PC which does not provide a rumble feature.
Sonn @ Jul 7th 2006 9:15AM
One thing straight... I don't back sony because they're sony, i back SOME of their policies because i feel in this issue they got dealt a bad hand (dual shock lawsuit). Who else has paid up to immersion? Anyways, im with PC gamer dude.
PS Sega Dreamcast forever - rumble optional ;)
sputnik @ Jul 10th 2006 4:00PM
No Rumble is rediculous. It's how you know your getting shot in most FPS, or how you can tell your car is drifting off the road in racing games. It makes explosions seem more real and helps draw you in especially if you don't have surround sound. Rumble is one of the things that consoles have over PC's. It's one of the cool things about not using a Keyboard and Mouse.
It's a crappy tradeoff...an unproven motion tilt gimmick over rumble.